Hays Post Sports
PLAINVILLE – The TMP-Marian Monarchs girls and boys
basketball teams ran their win streak to two games each on Tuesday as they
opened Mid-Continent League play with a pair of wins over the Plainville
Cardinals on the road in Plainville.
GIRLS: TMP 62, Plainville 41
The Lady Monarchs used a 21-2 run that covered the second and third quarters on their way to a 62-41 win over the Lady Cardinals.
After scoring the first field goal, TMP found themselves in an early hole, trailing 6-2 with just over five minutes left in the first quarter.
The Monarchs struggled to shoot the ball in the first half but slowly erased the deficit and built a 10-7 lead at the end of the first quarter.
In the second frame, five quick points from Paige Koenigsman helped TMP take their largest lead of the first half at 15-7, but that lead was short-lived.
Plainville answered with a 13-2 run to build a 20-17 lead with just over two minutes left in the first half.
But TMP had the answer this time: Raegan Allen scored six of her team-high 14 points in the final 90 seconds of the first half, giving TMP the 26-20 halftime lead.
TMP’s shooting struggles lasted well into the second half, but the Monarchs were still able to build a third-quarter lead to as much as 15 at 38-23.
But Plainville cut the lead to nine at 41-32 through three quarters.
In the final period, TMP recorded its highest-scoring quarter of the season, scoring 21 points, as they improved to 2-2 and 1-0 in the MCL.
The 14 points and 12 rebounds led TMP from Raegan Allen.
Hannah Rose and Brynn Rebel each finished with nine points.
BOYS: TMP 62, Plainville 57
The Monarchs made just enough free throws down the stretch as they closed out the 61-57 win over the Cardinals, ending a three-game losing streak against Plainville.
TMP’s Ian and Grant Nehls combined to score 13 of the Monarchs' first 19 points as they led 19-15, but every time the Monarchs built a lead, Plainville had an answer.
Plainville closed the half on a 14-7 run to go from down 4 to up 3, 29-26 at halftime.
Down five to start the second half, at 31-26, TMP answered with a 14-0 run sparked by nine points from Ty Schmeidler.
TMP led by nine, at 40-31, midway through the third quarter.
They maintained that nine-point lead for a portion of the fourth quarter before Plainville stormed back and pulled within one, at 56-55, on back-to-back turnovers.
The Monarchs struggled briefly to hit their free throws in the final minute of the game, but Ian Nehls and Schmeidler combined to score five straight at the free throw line and secure TMP’s 61-57 win.
TMP is 2-2 and 1-0 in the MCL.
Grant Nehls scored a game-high 19 points, and Ty Schmeilder added 15.
The TMP boys and girls will host Central Plains at 6 p.m. at Al Billinger Field House.